1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the cleaning, including disinfecting and even sterilization, of elongated enclosed channel devices and, more particularly, to such cleaning of endoscopes after use in a biological organism, typically the human body.
Endoscopes are protectively encased bundles of flexible optical fibers used to transmit images to the operator at one end from otherwise inaccessible regions into which the opposite end of the instrument is inserted to thereby obtain a view of the structures about such regions Such an arrangement makes possible the visual examination, and even photographing, of structures surrounding cavities to which there is some some external access, such access usually being a relatively small opening and which often extends a considerable distance from the cavity of interest. Typically, such cavities in the human body are formed by the structures of one or more internal organs thereabout and to which there is some access through a bodily orifice.
Not only can an endoscope be inserted through such an orifice into such a bodily cavity and manipulated to permit viewing in different directions therein, but also such instruments are usually built with means to permit the insertion of fluids into such cavities. Often, there are also means for the removal of tissue from portions of the surrounding organ structures. Thus, in addition to the fiber optic bundle, there is usually provided a plurality of enclosed channels or passageways more or less paralleling the direction of the fiber optic bundle which are formed also within the enclosure protecting the fiber optic bundle. Specifically, such channels are typically provided to carry one or more of water, air and carbon dioxide gas. A further channel is often provided to permit the instrumentation to extend therethrough necessary for a biopsy to extract cellular tissue or other matter from the cavity being viewed or from the structure surrounding such cavity. This latter channel may also be connected to a vacuum source as a means of obtaining sample fluids, for instance.
FIG. 1 shows a representation of a structure for a typical endoscope, 10, although not necessarily the replica of any particular currently available endoscope. Endoscope 10 has a protective outer jacket, 11, shown in dashed line form. There is a viewing eyepiece, 12, and a light source connector, 13, as interfaces for providing useful access to the fiber optic bundle in endoscope 10 but which is not shown in FIG. 1. Shown in FIG. 1, however, in solid lines, are several of the passageways or channels just referred to. These passageways begin in a primary interface portion, 14, of endoscope 10. They continue through the operation portion, 15, and down into the insertion portion, 16.
The first channel or passageway to be considered, 17, begins at an access orifice at the end in primary interface portion 14. This orifice is intended to receive pressurized air which can then flow to two regions, the first being a water reservoir portion along passageway, 17'. Air flowing along passageway 17' is intended to flow into a water reservoir (not shown) to provide pressure to pressurize the water therein. The other direction of air flow is along passageway, 17", through primary interface portion 14, and into control portion 15 where the flow is controlled by a valve means, 18. From there passage 17' continues through the remainder of control portion 15 and into insert portion 16 where it terminates at a termination orifice at the end of insertion portion 16.
A second channel or passageway, 19, again has an access orifice in primary interface portion 14 where it is adapted to be connected to the same water reservoir as is passageway 17'. Thus, pressurized air along passageway 17' provides the force to move water from such a reservoir along passageway 19 through primary interface portion 14 to control portion 15 and valve 18, which also controls water flow. From valve 18, passageway 19 continues through insertion portion 16 where it merges into passageway 17" to end at the termination orifice thereof.
A further passageway, 20, for carbon dioxide gas also has its access orifice in primary interface portion 14. Passageway 20 continues through primary interface portion 14 into control portion 15 where it merges with passageway 17" to thereby reach insertion portion 16 and the corresponding termination orifice.
The last passageway, which once again has its access orifice in primary interface portion 14, is the passageway designated 21 which is adapted for connection to a source of vacuum. Passageway 21 continues through primary interface portion 14 and into control portion 15 where it meets with a valve, 22, to control flow therethrough. Thereafter, passageway 21 continues through the remainder of control portion 15 and into insert portion 16 where it reaches a termination orifice. However, there is a further access port, 23, provided in control portion 15 to passageway 21 to permit insertion of those instruments needed for biopsies and the like.
Endoscopes currently available have differing designs and capabilities in being different in length, number of channels or passageways, and the like. However, most will have a structure which will reflect in some degree that shown in FIG. 1, although the merging of channels may occur at different points or there may be other structural differences from the structure shown.
Nevertheless, most of them, in having some aspects in common with the structure shown in FIG. 1, will be subject to blockages or contamination because of biological matter coming to reside in the channels or passageways, having found its way in there during use of the endoscope in a procedure within a bodily cavity. Thus, there is a need for an apparatus to clean various differing kinds of endoscopes, apparatus which cleans each of the channels or passageways therein as well as the exterior surface thereof to the point of disinfecting. Such a cleaning apparatus should permit this kind of cleaning of all of the channels simultaneously to speed the cleaning process, and should permit viewing the channel orifices to see that cleaning fluid flow is occurring therethrough. Further, the use of a disinfectant fluid should be dynamic with respect to the endoscope being cleaned and flow during the procedure to assure disinfectant continually being provided to the surfaces being cleaned. Static disinfectant fluid may lead to hardening biological matter in place in a passageway.